Katrina Bowls: One Man Creates Beauty from Destruction

May 28, 2015 at 7:26 PM CDT - Updated July 11 at 12:10 AM

Photo Courtesy: WLOX-TV (Biloxi, MS)

One man in south Mississippi is taking recycling to new heights. He's figured out something to do with all those trees that were damaged and destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. His wife tells us it started as just a hobby, but now his "Katrina Bowls" are in high demand.

Katrina left behind so much destruction. Among the casualties were so many of south Mississippi's trees. Enver Karagoz is turning that loss into something positive. Enver collects broken, battered pieces of trees and transforms them into what he calls his Katrina Bowls. These finely crafted bowls are made from a wide assortment of trees that once towered over south Mississippi.

"I prefer cherry. They really come out nice and smooth. And water oak, red oak, and uh, pecan. Pecan, a hard wood, is really hard to cut, but comes out neat," he says. Enver works out of his garage in Gulfport. Written under every bowl is the name Katrina, plus the type of tree and the city from which it came - pecan from Pass Christian, cedar from Biloxi, actually from Beauvoir.

Karagoz names his business "Katrina Wood." His bowls and pepper mills have become quite popular. Enver travels to craft shows, festivals, and other events selling bowls and telling his story. This hobby has taken on a life of its own. "I was doing this mainly for the fun of it. Now, it's gotten in demand," he says.

So, where can you find these Katrina Bowls? Well, Enver doesn't have a website. He says you have to see the bowls personally to understand their beauty. Right now, you can only get them in Mississippi when Enver has a booth at a local festival. His wife tells us they are considering showing off the bowls in Louisiana but nothing's scheduled just yet.